What Is Biometrics?

A biometric or biometric identifier is an objective measurement of a physical characteristic of an individual which, when captured in a database, can be used to verify the identity or check against other entries in the database. The best known biometric is the fingerprint, but others include facial recognition and iris scans.

A number of biometric characteristics may be captured in the first phase of processing. However, automated capturing and automated comparison with previously stored data requires that the biometric characteristics satisfy the following characteristics:

1. Universal
2. Invariance of properties
3. Measurability
4. Singularity
5. Acceptance
6. Reducibility
7. Reliability and tamper-resistance
8. Privacy
9. Comparable
10. Inimitable

The primary use at this time for biometrics remains for medium-security access to controlled environments.